September: 16 house releases you need to hear this month

Darius Syrossian 'Do Not Sleep' (Balance Music)

The first disc of ‘Balance’, the new double album from Darius Syrossian, is a live DJ mix that was recorded at the Bow in Buenos Aires, and it’s a masterclass in how to build a set properly. It starts with tracks from Demarkus Lewis and Darius himself before easing into Dennis Ferrer’s emotive ‘The Red Room’ and then breezing through cuts from Apollonia and Tim Deluxe. From there, it slides into top gear with DJ T’s ‘Music Is Therapy’, followed by Laurent Garnier’s ‘Crispy Bacon’. Darius keeps the pressure up with his own tracks ‘What You Say’, before closing with an updated version of ‘Pacific State’ and Deetron’s ‘Photon’. The second disc, meanwhile, is a polished studio mix that displays both his fine discography and excellent tune selection.

9/10